From my friend who was in Madison last week:

proud2BlibKansan

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Sun Feb-27-11 09:02 AM
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From my friend who was in Madison last week:

I rolled into Madison Wednesday morning, Feb. 23, 2011 (just to be clear). I left to return home to Chicago tonight, Friday, Feb. 25th. I walked up to the capitol and saw 8 people on the corner wearing blue t-shirts over their coats. The shirts had "COPS FOR LABOR" in big white letters on the back and "Madison Police Assoc." in small letters on the front. I showed them my police I.D. and asked where I could buy one. A cop said she'd get another one later, and literally gave me the shirt off her back.... People in Wisconsin are so damn friendly it's FREAKY!!

I went into the building and was energized and inspired immediately; actually before I even got in. There were thousands standing around and marching around the outside. Members of all kinds of unions, both Wisconsinites and from all over the country were there. Non-union supporters, too. People ranged in age from 9 months to 91 years old.Her sign: "91 year old union supporter and 40-year member. I can still kick butt, Scott!" Thousands of teens and 20-somethings were everywhere.

Many people looked at my "COPS FOR LABOR" shirt and thanked me for being there. I thanked them back. Some asked me for directions, but of course I didn't know where the hell anything was. Inside there were signs EVERYWHERE. One of my favorite: " 'I'd like to buy the world.'-- a Koch" There was one speaker after another in the middle of the rotunda on a megaphone, surrounded by several people with drums and plastic buckets. There were people all around on the first, second and third floors. During the speeches and in between, there was drumming, cheering and chanting.

I roamed all around, up and down the several staircases. The mood was incredibly upbeat. County sheriffs and city cops from several departments were all around, doing what's called "high visibility, low profile". They only blocked off certain areas. They, like the crowd, were mostly extremely cordial. Many said they liked my shirt. Some mentioned approval of my Veterans For Peace ball cap.

I saw about 20 people march into the rotunda wearing the same COPS FOR LABOR shirts. I joined them as they marched in one side through to the other door. People cleared a path and cheered us. One guy holding a big pan handed me a foil-wrapped bratwurst (the official state sandwich, I kid you not!). They were shaking my hand, patting my back and thanking me for being there. I kept thanking them back. The positive energy was overwelming. In the middle of the day, firefighters marched in with bagpipes and drums, playing "On, Wisconsin" and "America the Beautiful". They do this twice a day, and the crowd roars and some weep with appreciation.

Everywhere I went in the building, I saw plastic air rafts and mattresses and sleeping bags. The doors are locked at about 11 p.m. each night; you can leave, but not enter till 8 a.m. Every night 1,000 to 3,000 sleep in the building. There were first aid, security, information, free food, and other stations set up and manned by the protesters. The whole place was amazingly clean and orderly, considering the circumstances.

VFP member Dave Jensen from Tyler, Texas (a fellow Camp Casey member) flew in Wednesday afternoon. We also met up with Bob Gronko (Chicago VFP/VVAW), Bruce Berry, Dave and Gerald (VFP Minneapolis) and several VFP from Madison and Milwaukee.

Ian's Pizza joint a block away kept delivering 50 or more pizzas at a time, ordered by folks from all 50 states and over 40 countries "to feed the protesters at the capitol". I had a couple slices myself--when in Rome.... All around the city of about 300,000 there were signs of support in house and store windows.

On Thursday, a few VFP members squeezed into the middle of the rotunda as member Will Williams spoke to the over 10,000 inside. He mentioned how VFP fights nonviolently for ending wars and occupations that make the nation and world LESS safe, and sap money from needed services and programs. The crowd went wild. We got lots of hugs.

Friday we met up with a few IVAW members. Many more IVAW, VFP, VVAW members will arrive from Chicago and all over Saturday (tomorrow), but I had to go back to work. My 3 weekdays there I saw between 15,000-30,000 in and around the capitol all the time. Saturday (tomorrow) they again will have upwards of 100,000 there. I talked with folks from all over Wisconsin, over 20 from Los Angeles (they were COLD), and from everywhere else.

We went to hear Amy Goodman (Democracy Now) and John Nichols (The Nation magazine) speak at a packed theater Thursday night. People I spoke with rightly called Madison the epicenter, or the front line, or ground zero in the war on workers/unions/the middle class declared by corporations and their government stooges.

Friday morning word spread that the governor wanted to evict the protesters Saturday night. Later we heard he wanted to do it Friday night. So then many cops from all over announced they would (while off duty) remain in the capitol overnight to prevent the eviction of the protesters, which many of the cops are themselves.

I have not felt such a beautiful spirit of community and determination since August of 2005 at Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas. I encourage all who can to go to Madison at this historic moment in time. You WON'T regret it. If you can't go there, join in a rally of support Saturday somewhere near you. We stand together or we fall apart, sisters and brothers. I gotta go back there. SOLIDARITY!!